A Paladin is a sub-class of fighter that is a holy warrior and paragon of Law and Good. A paladin will typically venerate a deity of the same ethos and this deity will grant the paladin spells once they have attained higher levels. A paladin also receives very powerful defensive abilities but this comes at a cost—Paladins have a very exacting code of conduct that allows little flexibility. Any deviation requires atonement and incurs risk of losing their paladinhood.

• Primary Ability Scores. Strength, Wisdom, and Charisma (A Strength and Wisdom of 16+ adds a 10% experience bonus). A paladin that achieves an 18 Strength score will roll for Exceptional Strength.

• Minimum Ability Scores. Strength (12), Intelligence (9), Wisdom (13), Constitution (9), Charisma (17).

• Hit Dice. d10; Maximum 9d10; Self-train (9th);

• Hit Points. You start with 10 hit points adjusted for Constitution. Each level thereafter you gain 1d10 if you roll for hit points or you can gain 5.5 hit points without rolling. The 0.5 hit points will carry over. Hit Points after Maximum Hit Dice. Paladins gain 3 hit points plus any Constitution adjustment per level past 9th.

• Alignment Restrictions. Lawful good only.

• Player Character Races. Human (U).

• Armor and Shield. Any.

• Weapon Proficiencies. Initial 4; Penalty -2; Additional at 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th.

• Available Weapon Proficiencies. Any.

• Additional Restrictions. Must follow a Paladin’s Code of Conduct.

• Weakness. Paladins are affected by unholy water and may be turned by evil clerics.

• Attack Table. Use the Fighter Attack Table.

DEITY

As a paladin, you are a mortal servitor of a deity you revere above all others. The most common deities in Vile Darkness appear in the Deities section, along with their alignments, areas of concern, and the benefits you get for being a cleric of that deity. Your deity must be specifically Lawful Good.

CURE DISEASE

Cure Disease. [innate] (major) 

Paladins can cure disease by touch as an innate ability 1/week plus one additional use granted at 6th, 11th, and 16th level. In all other respects, this works as the cleric spell, cure disease (CL equals the paladin’s level).

DETECT EVIL

Detect Evil. [innate; detection] (major, 1 round; concentration) 

A paladin can cast the cleric spell, detect evil as a spell-like ability (CL equals the paladin’s level). The area of effect is an area 10-ft. wide by 60-ft. long.

DISARM

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Disarm. [melee] (major, weapon speed) 

All fighters, rangers, and paladins may use a set of common melee weapons to disarm their foes. These include daggers, maces, and swords (broad, long, or short). See Weapon Attributes and the Disarm attack.

IMMUNE TO DISEASE

SPECIAL DEFENSES: immune to disease 

Paladins are immune to all forms of diseases, magical or natural. 

LAY ON HANDS

Lay On Hands. 1/day [innate; healing] (major, 1 segment) 

A paladin can use their “lay on hands” innate ability by touch. This will cure 2 hit points of damage per paladin level. If using lay on hands on themselves, this is a minor action.

PROTECTION FROM EVIL

SPECIAL DEFENSES: Protection from Evil. [continuous] 

As an innate ability, a paladin is constantly under the effect of a protection from evil 10 ft. radius spell (CL equals the paladin’s level). If a dispel magic effect is successful in negating the magic, it will be renewed in 1d4 rounds (if one round is indicated, the emanation comes back at the end of the next round).

SAVING THROW BONUS

A paladin gains an inherent bonus of +2 (or +10%) to all saving throws (this stacks with any other bonus).

WHIRLWIND ATTACK

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Whirlwind Attack. [melee] (declared; major, weapon speed) 

Anytime a fighter, paladin, or ranger is in melee and wielding a weapon with proficiency, they may declare a whirlwind attack if they suspect they are in melee with foes that possess less than one full hit die. If your guess is correct and all foes within melee range are under 1 full hit die, you may take one attack per level targeting any foe within melee range.

TURN UNDEAD

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Turn Undead. [innate] (major, 1 segment) 

Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin can turn undead as an innate ability as a cleric of 2 levels lower than their paladin level. See also The Cleric.

CALL PALADIN'S WARHORSE

Beginning at 4th level, a paladin may call a special warhorse companion. During this day-long ritual, the paladin will gain a vision of where his steed is located—always within a 7 day trek on horse from where they are. Once the paladin arrives in the area, gaining the horse will require some small quest—the defeat of an evil captor, or a short mission given by the steed’s owner or even the horse itself (putting down an ogre bandit and it’s comrades, defeating a tribe of goblin horse thieves and their witch doctor or something similar). Once united, the intelligent horse will serve the paladin faithfully for 10 years before it retires (at which time the paladin may gain another steed). If the steed dies, the paladin cannot gain another mount for a period of 10 years beginning when the mount was first gained. However, special steeds such as these may be raised or resurrected as if they were a person (reincarnation will also work but could present complications; only non-Evil forms will be available). See Paladins Warhorse below.

MULTI-ATTACK

SPECIAL ATTACKS: Multi-attack. (+number of iterative attacks) [multi-attack] (major, weapon speed) 

Multi-attack is an ability that grants additional attack routines. Each additional attack routine is called an iterative attack. These bonus attacks are a powerful ability as they grant special initiative placement as well as the ability to target more than one foe per round with an attack. 

Beginning at 7th level, you gain one iterative attack once every two rounds (beginning the first round multi-attack is used). 

At 13th level, you have one iterative attack every round. For details see Multi-attack.

Multi-attack and Two-weapon fighting. For details see Two-weapon Fighting.

PALADIN KNIGHT

Paladin Knights are granted the same rights as knights in civilized areas. Paladin Knights do not take monies from their church. See The Fighter.

SPELLS

Beginning at 9th level, a paladin will prepare and cast a limited number of cleric spells—The caster level is equal to their paladin level (including bonus spells for high Wisdom). See The Cleric.

PALADIN SAINT

A paladin that attains 20th level becomes a saint of their deity. See The Cleric.

THE PALADIN'S CODE OF CONDUCT

All paladins will have a code which is similar to the below with specifics sometimes added based on deity choice. Game effects follow:

GAME EFFECTS OF A PALADIN'S CODE

• Institution. A paladin must be aligned with or in service to a Lawful Good religious institution (usually the church of their deity).

• Tithe. When a paladin gains a share of treasure or comes to possess newly gained wealth, they will immediately give 10% in tithe to their religious institution. "Immediately" in this case means "as soon as circumstances reasonably allow" (during down time between adventures/encounters, etc.). This percentage amount is calculated by taking the gross value of all wealth obtained as the paladin's "share" (coins, gems, jewelry, and mundane goods), then adding the net amount of gold gained for any sold magic items, and then adding the amount of experience gained for any magic items kept by the paladin personally. All tithe amounts must be paid in coin. For example, after an adventure, a paladin is due to receive the proceeds from the sale of gem, jewelry and rare objects found. The gross amount for the group is 12,000 g.p. and the paladin will receive a 1/5th share. Thus the paladin's tithe amount will be 240 g.p. even though the items may be sold for less or traded for services. The paladins share of coin wealth is 900 g.p.—his tithe amount for this is 90 g.p. The party also sells a scroll of protection and a wand of wonder—the net amount from the sale is is 6,500 g.p. and the paladin's share is 1,300 g.p. Thus, his tithe amount is 130 g.p. Finally, the paladin found and keeps a long sword +1, +4 vs. reptiles. The XP amount for the sword is 800 and the paladin's tithe is 80 g.p. So in the end, the paladin pays a total tithe of 540 g.p.

• Wealth. Paladins will never hoard wealth and, even after giving a tithe, will only keep funds on hand to live modestly and pay henchmen or hirelings. At 9th level or above, they may keep enough funds to construct and maintain a small castle, although many times, they will come into possession of such a structure in service to their institution who finances the construction (or owns it previously) and commands the paladin to lead it on their behalf.

• Possessions. No matter the challenges overcome or ahead, a paladin remains modest and unadorned. They will never possess in excess of 10 magical items. Additional treasure/items will be given away to worthy causes. These will be limited to:

  • One suit of magical armor

  • One magical shield

  • Four magical weapons (not including ammunition)

  • Four other permanent magical items that are not armor, shields, or weapons

  • Up to three one-time use magic items including potions

• Associates. Paladins do not attract followers as some other classes do. A paladin will only bring on henchmen that are Lawful Good. A paladin will only ever associate with Good-aligned allies for the long term. In certain circumstances, they may ally with non-Evil, Neutral-aligned beings but on a short-term, single adventure basis. While a paladin may not know their allies exact alignment, they will keep a careful watch over other's behavior and will be sure to confront non-Good/non-Lawful tendencies when they arise.

• Other Strictures. A paladin will never use poison to harm another creature. A paladin will not knowingly lie. A paladin will not indiscriminately kill a hostage without proper judgement and will seek avenues for mercy. The Paladin's Code of Conduct always extends to a paladin's allies and the paladin is responsible for their acts while associating with them.

• Deviation. Any material deviation from the Code will cause the paladin to lose all paladin abilities—operating as a standard fighter of their paladin level. If the deviation was unwilling or unknowing, the paladin will be able to atone (by seeking the use of an atonement spell) and recover his or her abilities if the deity sees fit. Certain circumstances will allow a paladin to atone as well (classic "no win" situations that require difficult choices) if the GM allows—based on interpretation of the Code and any deity-specific derivations against the action/no-action performed. 

THE PALADIN'S WARHORSE

Heavy War Horse

Lawful Good Large Monster (animal, mammal)

SURPRISE: 20%

SENSES: night vision; sense invisible (20%; hearing, scent)

ARMOR CLASS: 5

SPEED: 180 ft.

HIT DICE: 5+5 (hp 47*)

ATTACK AC 0: 13

MELEE: 2 hooves (1d8/1d8) and bite (1d3)

SPECIAL ATTACKS: none; Hits As: normal

SPECIAL DEFENSES: none

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%

INTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)

MORALE: +30% (fanatical in defense of it's paladin master)

SAVES: Poison 10, Petrify 11, Wand 12, Breath 12, Spell 13

LANGUAGES: none (can communicate with it's master or others in a limited way using non-verbal body movements and sounds)

LEVEL: III (XP 148 or 60+4 per h.p.)

* High Hit Points. A paladin's warhorse will always have at least 1/2 of their master's level in hit points per hit die. Thus, a 12th level paladin will have a horse with, at minimum, 55 hit points. Horses with very high level paladin masters can gain more than 8 h.p. per hit die.

If a paladin ever loses their paladinhood for any reason, the steed will consider the fallen paladin an enemy, and will not permit the character to ride it for any reason. The horse will then seek to escape from the character at it’s first opportunity. If the paladin is later able to atone and reinstate their paladin status, they must go through great lengths (per the GM) to rekindle their relationship with their steed.